So........... I just finished my FIRST shift! Can I just say..... WOW!
I went into the day with an open heart, not sure what to see or expect. My morning started off with the rude awakening of my alarm clock at 5am. Of course I didn’t sleep a wink the night before. For those who know me..... I stress out before clinical (especially the first day). I always have that underlying fear that I’ll sleep through my alarm and be LATE! Eek! Needless to say, between my cat naps, I managed to drag my tired butt outta bed.
I got to my placement around 6:30am, with the help of my dad’s expert navigational skills. For those who don’t know me, my sense of direction is HORRIBLE! As I waited in my car, my mind was going a million miles a minute.
[What was I going to see? What would my day look like? Who was I paired up with? What kind of patients will I encounter? What if I mess up? What if I don’t know the answer..... what if... what if..... what if?]
I took a couple deep breaths, said a quick prayer, and was on my way up to the unit! I was greeted by friendly staff members (two of which were New Grads from Trinity which are old friends of mine!). Unfortunately, my preceptor lady wasn’t able to come for the day, so I was paired up with my good friend E - I can’t express to you the feeling of relief that washed over me!
As the morning started, I got an opportunity to listen to report - seeing which patients were on the floor etc. For those who don’t know, I am working at a Health Centre for Children with Disabilities. I will be working with children as young as birth, to age 19. For those who don’t know, I LOVE CHILDREN! Ever since I wanted to become a nurse, pediatrics has become my biggest passion. At this placement, I will be working with children who have conditions that affect their physical, motor or sensory development or have acquired brain injury, prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs, cerebral palsy, or autism. Not only will this be a challenge for me (learning about these conditions), but also learning how to deal, support and encourage families who live with this on a daily basis.
For the course of my day, the patients I helped with ranged from 2.5 months - 16 years of age. One was in respite, two were brain injuries and the other was in for otho.
The 2.5 month old was one of which suffered from a brain injury. My heart broke when I found out this had been caused by subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and brain swelling. For those who know what SBS (shaken baby syndrome) is, you’ll understand a bit more. When I picked that little boy up from his crib, my heart melted instantaneously. How could something so precious, be mistreated? Emotions flooded my heart as the day progressed. Whenever I had a spare minute, you could find me in his room. There were multiple times he’d begin to cry, and I’d rush to his side, pick him up and hold him tightly against my chest. I would stare into his blood shot eyes and tell him how much he is loved; especially by our heavenly father who created his inmost being. I prayed for him, over and over again. As I stood there, he looked up into my eyes, reached for the side of my arm and dug in with his little finger tips.... grasping whatever physical touch he could get. If I could, I would have walked out of that unit with him that evening. As the lump formed in my throat, I held back the tears ... knowing that God’s hand was in all of this. I had to trust Him - knowing that whatever happened with this boy (foster care) etc... that God would continue to love him and watch over him.
Another patient that touched my life was the little 6 week old girl who shared the same room as the little guy above. Her story gave me chills. This little beauty wasn’t my patient, but I was informed by K (my other nursing friend) that I had to read her charts. When I had a spare moment, I sat down and was blown away by the events that took place in the previous week. The mother woke up one morning to find her little girl unresponsive. She called 911. When they arrived, the little girl wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse. They began CPR on her as rushed her off to the hospital. After 30 minutes of CPR, they announced her time of death. They swaddled the baby and let the mom have some “private” time with her. An hour and a half later, the nurse went back into the room to find the baby........ wait for this............ PINK, and BREATHING! Can someone say miracle? This gives me chills just thinking about it. To this day, the little girl is doing good, gaining weight etc, but is suffering with brain injury. I can't help but look at this story and wonder why people don't believe in God. For something like this to occur, it isn't by chance. God was watching out for this baby all along!
These are only two of the many stories I could share with you. The staff that work along side these families are incredible, I am so lucky to have this experience. I am excited for the many more opportunities where I can love on these children in ways that may brighten up their days etc. I definitely look forward to my next shift!!!
I can’t wait! Counting down the days! :)
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
—Psalm 139:13-16
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